Rising From the Ashes
by Kaori Koriryu
Summary: Five of the unlikeliest heroes will rise from the four Clans to band together and lead their Clans to a new home when their old one is wrought with disease. None of them were ever suspected, as they were always persecuted, ignored, or thought to be unfit to ever bear the title "warrior." But this is now their chance to prove their worth, to change their fate, for better or worse.
1. Prologue: Disease

**Disclaimer: I in no way own Warriors.**

**Full Summary: Rosepaw has always known she is violent and short-tempered. Icepaw always loved the feel of blood in her claws. Swamppaw is deceptive and flirtatious, always taking advantage of the emotions of she-cats. Forestpaw and Duskpaw are both innocents. When these five cats meet and learn they must work together to save the legacy of the Clans, what could go wrong? **

Prologue: Disease

It spread like wildfire. From the first sign of the strange disease, the Clans were doomed. Every sneeze was considered deadly; the plague was insistent on infecting anything it could get its grasp on. Most died within a day of contracting the disease, but there were a few, only a pawful of cats from each Clan, that seemed immune.

It was these few that were to save the legacy of the Clans. All they needed to figure out was how, on the land that seemed to be in itself diseased and dying.

* * *

Eerie silence gathered over the Gathering island. A full moon hung in the sky, but it was hidden by thick clouds. No one was to come to the Gathering this night.

A despairing wail rose. The fur on the dark brown tom's shoulders rose as he stared at the queen. "Mom, it's okay!" Forestpaw insisted quietly. "I know it seems hopeless, but…." His voice faltered. As far as he knew, there were only a few cats left, in WindClan, anyway. What was there to say that could comfort his mother, when the cold, inanimate body of his younger sister, Jaypaw, was lying at their paws?

"Forestpaw," Mousefang's pitiful blue eyes looked up at him in fright, "we need to take the remaining cats and leave. They'll die here."

Green eyes searched Mousefang's blue. Then Forestpaw nodded. His mother, paranoid and broken, needed him in this time when most Clan cats had died of the strange sickness or been captured by Twolegs. He would make sure he didn't let her down.

"We will leave," he promised her, nodding and smiling reassuringly, even though he didn't feel very assured. "We will. I'll convince the others. We'll even go by the other Clans to see if there could possibly be any more survivors."

Mousefang's form relaxed. "Yes," she mumbled, "we can go tomorrow…."

Forestpaw sighed then, looking outside at the cloudy sky. His mother's breathing detectibly evened out after a few moments of thick silence, and he knew she was asleep. He padded out of the nursery- his mother being a permanent queen and refusing to leave the den when cats started dying or being abducted- and headed toward the warriors' den, where all the other remaining cats now stayed.

"How is she?" One of the older warriors, Silversong, Mousefang's friend, peered at Forestpaw anxiously.

"She's faring well now. But we have to leave, for all of our sakes." The reaction the proposal was met with was mixed. Of the dozen or so remaining cats, many fixed him with shocked stares. A few began to murmur among themselves, and only two nodded their approval of his plan, an elder, Stoneclaw, and the senior warrior in charge of the remainder of WindClan, Birchwing.

"Forestpaw is right!" Birchwing announced, standing up straight in front of the Clan. Her silky, light gray-patterned coat shone silver as a single cloud moved away from the moon, sending a ray of light down on their camp.

Whispers rose to excited shouts.

"Look!" Stoneclaw rasped above them all. "StarClan has shown their approval!"

"Birchwing," a small pale ginger tom stepped up. "You must be an official leader to carry out this plan efficiently." His steady gaze told her that he was confident in his words.

"I can still lead the Clan without having nine lives," the she-cat stubbornly protested. "After all, Smallstorm, we don't have enough time tonight to go to the Moonpool."

"Or do we?" Smallstorm insisted. "If we hurry, the ceremony can be completed before dawn.

Forestpaw shifted uneasily. The medicine cat and the senior warrior were fighting- not a good thing in the conditions they were under. To be honest, he agreed with Smallstorm. If StarClan approved of Birchwing, then the whole Clan would respect her that much more, listen to her orders more willingly.

"How about we take a vote?" Forestpaw suggested timidly, almost unwilling to interrupt the conversation. He didn't feel comfortable to break into a debate this important to their Clan's very survival, but he feared that if a choice wasn't made soon, the impending doom would descend upon WindClan and devour it whole. "After all, as a leader, you must take into account what your Clan wants, right?"

Birchwing paused. "You're…." A strange calmness seemed to overtake her. "You're right, Forestpaw." She looked out over her remaining Clanmates. "What do you all think? Should I get my nine lives, or wait?"

Silversong- Birchwing's own daughter- looked at her calmly. "Receive your nine lives, mother. Then you will truly be a leader, and we are more likely to listen to a leader whose position is absolute, certain, and nigh on unshakeable, are we not?"

"Silversong knows what she's talking about." An older warrior, Redpool, broke in. "I remember when Skystar first became leader; no one wanted her to lead us, but we were forced to accept it when StarClan accepted her. We thought she was too reckless, being as young as she was, but she soon grew to be liked." The dark ginger tom's muzzle was forced into a sad, contemplative frown as he remembered their former leader, who had been killed by the disease, which had eaten away her remaining four lives.

Several more proclamations of agreement arose from the crowd, and before they could take too long, Smallstorm stood and yowled over the din. "Everyone, please! Since it seems to be decided, we must go now, before moonhigh." Though it was barely before, Forestpaw knew that their camp was the closest to the Moonpool, and since WindClan was the swiftest as well, they had a slim chance of arriving before the moon reached its peak.

"Yes," Birchwing conceded finally, "we will go." And with that, she and the Clan's medicine cat left for the Moonpool.

* * *

Gray-green eyes shone from the darkness of the apprentice den in ShadowClan. A sleek, gray-brown and dark blue-gray patched tom emerged from the shadows, his eyes darting around the camp to see if he was being watched.

He padded to the medicine cat's den. A young she-cat was sitting there, sifting through herbs. She seemed hardly old enough to be out of the nursery.

"Flowerpaw," Swamppaw purred, twining himself around the calico she-cat. She trembled apprehensively, blinking at him with fearful amber eyes.

"Shush, don't be scared," Swamppaw purred, licking her ear. "I just wanted to check up on you, hm?" He smirked, glancing outside. "You should come eat." For a moment he actually appeared to be worried.

Flowerpaw's ears lay back against her head. "Swamppaw," she whined. "Stop this act, just for a moment."

"What act, Flowerpaw?" the tom mumbled, nuzzling her cheek gently.

"We both know this wouldn't be right! I would be betraying the code I just swore myself to not two moons ago!" The calico got up and walked away from him, to the entrance of the den.

Swamppaw sighed in apparent disappointment. "Oh, Flowerpaw," he sighed, "don't you think the codes are nearly dead? If we want to revive them, the Clan will need more kits." His alluring gray-green eyes bore into her, but she shook her head, lifting it up proudly.

"I will not allow myself to be shamed by breaking my code, nor having kits so young," she adamantly insisted against the tom's advances, flicking her tail in his face before completely exiting the den, padding towards the nursery. The pitiful mewls of a single kit sounded, and Flowerpaw's eyes widened.

"Mistfern!" The medicine cat apprentice hurriedly trotted into the den. Swamppaw followed, watching with concealed interest.

"Mistfern, what happened to Owlkit?" Flowerpaw demanded, looking down at the two kits at a pale gray queen's stomach, more specifically the pale brown tabby kit.

The queen looked at her with mournful eyes. "Owlkit took a nap and hasn't woken up yet!" wailed his sister, Fawnkit.

The young calico touched her nose to Fawnkit's pale gray-brown forehead. "Shhh, he'll be better off where he's going," she mumbled reluctantly.

"He was cold when I woke," Mistfern murmured, curling tighter around the kits in a protective manner, as if she could somehow bring Owlkit back by being closer to his tiny, empty body. Swamppaw's whiskers twitched in cruel amusement at the hopeless gesture, but it went unnoticed by the others.

"Just move on, it'll be the best for everyone," Flowerpaw advised gently, putting her tail around the queen's shoulders. "You still have to be strong for Fawnkit, remember?"

The mother's green eyes met her kit's, which were wide, scared, and confused. "Why won't Owlkit wake up?" her daughter whimpered.

"He's gone," Mistfern finally told her in anguish, squeezing her eyes closed so as not to see the limp body of her kit. "Flowerpaw is going to take him somewhere nice now."

"But if he's already gone, why is he still here?" Fawnkit inquired, now more curious than anything.

"His body is here, but his spirit has moved on to StarClan," Flowerpaw explained patiently, quietly. She looked up slowly to Swamppaw. "Swamppaw, will you take Owlkit's body out of camp?"

The gray-brown and silver tom started, having been so focused on the deep conversation that he didn't think any of them would notice him standing there, and he definitely didn't expect to be addressed.

He dipped his head anyway, coming in to take the dead kit's scruff in his jaws. Fawnkit's wide eyes followed him as he left, while Mistfern's opened to show her grief as she watched her kit be taken away.

Swamppaw remembered the site of the graves. He had had to drag another apprentice there not a quarter moon ago, when no one else could find the strength to bury him at the time. ShadowClan was running low on prey this season, even though it was only late greenleaf. Many cats believed this to be the fault of Twolegs.

Swamppaw was one of them, knowing that Twolegs could be ruthless creatures. They had stolen his mother from him; at least, he liked to put it that way. His mother had left him to become a kittypet when he was very young, and he blamed the Twolegs. He had never been the same since, and, since his father was unknown, he grew up raised by the Clan. That only infuriated him more and molded him into the tom he was now; flirtatious, a heart-breaker, and ruthless in battle.

He had hardly realized he was at the graveyard until the strong stench of death hit him. It was then that he stopped. Swamppaw began searching, searching for a little empty spot to bury the kit. After all, he didn't want to come back with paws that had touched the long-dead carcasses of other cats.

That would leave every she-cat in the camp with a bad impression of him, and that would ruin his image.

After burying the kit, Swamppaw looked up suddenly, feeling a presence on him. Gray eyes bore into his, but this was no ordinary cat. It was slightly see-through, and it had stars in its fur.

"Swamppaw," she murmured. "My name is Hazedawn." Her plumed calico tail raised above her back, flicking in the air. "I am Flowerpaw's mother." Her voice was tight and disapproving.

Swamppaw quickly dipped his head in grudging respect. "Hello, Hazedawn." He raised his eyes. "What reason have you to come to me?" He wasn't about to leave her daughter, the prettiest she-cat around his age currently in the Clan, alone.

Her lip lifted in a snarl, and she narrowed her eyes. "I am here to give you a message from StarClan." His pelt bristled instinctively at her hostile look. "Sadly, I am the only one who supports that you shouldn't be with my daughter as strongly as I do. I'm here only to tell you that you have to leave with the other Clans tomorrow. Deliver my message to your Clan."

Swamppaw paused. "I will," he finally agreed.

Hazedawn disappeared, but at the same time, the clouds moved slightly to allow a beam of moonlight to shine down on ShadowClan territory, as one was already shining down on WindClan.

* * *

Icepaw lounged in the ThunderClan camp in the evening. Her eyes rose as Pigeontail padded over to her. He had replaced her mentor since the old one died. Icepaw was sorry she hadn't killed the old mentor herself.

"Icepaw," Pigeontail began, looking down at the young she-cat, "we need to go hunting, to stock up on prey."

The white-patched black she-cat gazed at him with eyes like chips of blue ice, from which she got her name. "I know what hunting means," Icepaw finally replied coolly, getting to her paws.

"You'd better," Pigeontail snorted, flicking her ear with his tail. The two began making their way to the camp entrance.

"Pigeontail!" The gray tom paused, and Icepaw rolled her eyes, turning with him to peer at the approaching cat.

It was the leader, Mudstar. The dark brown and lighter-patched tom gazed down at Icepaw for a moment with unconcealed hatred. Icepaw smirked back at him. She had heard the tales of how Mudstar had loved Icepaw's mother, but she had been in love with a different tom, becoming mates with him and breaking off connections with Mudstar. The two had been best friends since they were kits, up until that time.

"Pigeontail," Mudstar finally looked back up at the warrior, but Icepaw continued to gaze at the leader with the same hatred the other cat had shown to her. "I want you to take Wolfpaw with you. Brightclaw is dying as we speak, but we need to keep up the training of our apprentices."

"True," Pigeontail agreed. "I'll take him with us." He looked up at the brown tabby and white tom, who was lounging across the clearing. "Wolfpaw!"

He looked up, sighed, and padded over. "Yes?" he sighed. Icepaw smiled, knowing he was making his best effort to be polite to the older tom.

"Go with Pigeontail and Icepaw to hunt," Mudstar commanded of the apprentice.

Wolfpaw sighed and dipped his head. "Yes, Mudstar." He glanced at Icepaw and flicked his tail, rolling his eyes in Mudstar's direction, making the she-cat snicker.

Mudstar opened his mouth to say something, then snapped it shut, glaring at them quietly. He then turned and padded away, not wanting to spend another moment near them.

Wolfpaw and Icepaw were sent sharp looks by Pigeontail, who then began to scold them. "You shouldn't disrespect your leader like that! You're lucky he hasn't exiled either of you yet!"

"Yeah, like he can make us go into exile just for being difficult!" Icepaw snorted, shaking her head.

"You never know. If I was in charge, I would've left you two alone in an occupied badger den by now," Pigeontail snapped.

"But that's cruel and unusual punishment, right?" Wolfpaw asked, mocking innocence.

"Do I look like I care?" the gray tom snarled. "Let's just get this hunting trip over with." He turned, padding out through the entrance of the camp.

Icepaw and Wolfpaw followed. Icepaw was eager for a good hunt. She hadn't had one in ages it seemed, and she longed to feel the savory taste of the blood of prey gushing out in her jaws.

"Thinking about the hunt?" Wolfpaw whispered, smirking. He knew very well that Icepaw was violent and loved blood. Sometimes they'd have a little brawl outside camp just to see who could end up with more cuts.

"Of course, what else?" Icepaw chuckled, shaking her head. "It seems like it's been forever since I last went on a hunting trip. I've wanted to feel blood again for too long."

Wolfpaw glanced at her and sighed. "I guess you're right," he mumbled, glancing away.

Icepaw's eyes widened. "Wolfpaw!" she hissed at the dark tabby. "You can't possibly be thinking of becoming soft?"

The brown tabby looked up at her with wide eyes. "What? No!" he spat. "Why would I do that? I plan on being leader someday, one way or another!"

"Not before me!" Icepaw declared, smirking.

There was a roll of amber eyes. "Sure!" Wolfpaw taunted. "And you'll be the one to kill Mudstar!"

"You know it." Icepaw grinned coldly, her eyes boring into his. After a moment, Wolfpaw had to look away.

"Whatever," he mumbled, shaking his head. In truth, he wasn't a complete cold-blooded killer like Icepaw; he only wanted to be the best warrior he could be, but he was also a very short fuse and didn't mind a little blood and violence every once in a while. In truth, he was _scared_ of Icepaw.

There was silence, until Pigeontail, who was ahead of them a few tail-lengths, stopped. "Here we are," he announced, turning to look at them calmly. It appeared the walk had soothed his enragement. Icepaw would soon fix that.

"I'll hunt this way," she said loudly, pointing towards the lake with her tail. "Wolfpaw can go that way," she pointed deeper into the forest, "and you can go there." She smirked, pointing back at the camp and staring pointedly at Pigeontail.

Pigeontail growled, flexing his claws in the dirt. "No," he snapped, "you'll be hunting that way with Wolfpaw, while I go hunt by myself to get some peace and quiet." He pointed sharply with his tail at the WindClan border.

The white and black she-cat only raised her eyebrow. "Okay, okay," she said smoothly. "Come on, Wolfpaw." The brown tabby, trembling ever so slightly, followed her away.

"Shh!" she hushed the tom, flicking her tail as she smelt something, immediately dropping to her stomach.

Wolfpaw was alert immediately, but he stepped back, knowing he would likely be clawed if he even tried to take this catch. Icepaw had clearly already claimed it.

She skillfully drew forward, her ears pressed to her head. She made no noise, silent as an owl. Wolfpaw gazed at her form with admiration at her silence and ease, wishing he could hunt as gracefully, with such skill. Though he was scared of her, he envied her various talents as well.

Her gaze drifted up to meet his for a moment, and she smirked triumphantly, flicking the very tip of her tail towards a plump mouse. Wolfpaw knew Icepaw won when she spotted her prey.

It was then that she pounced, and blood poured from her jaws.

"Icepaw!" She looked up with the mouse in her mouth, at the shocked voice, expecting to see Wolfpaw staring at her, but he was still watching silently. She looked around to see if she could spot any other cats.

Her eyes locked on a pair of dark amber eyes, and she started. They were set in the gentle black face of her mother.

"Only you can see me." Her mother's voice was sad, disappointed, like she had just caught her daughter in the act of breaking the warrior code several times over, when she had only been hunting.

Icepaw dipped her head in shame. Her mother often had that effect on her, making her feel bad about the smallest things.

"I've come to deliver a message," Darkwing sighed finally. Icepaw felt her icy nose touch to her forehead. "You must travel with the other Clans away from this diseased place, tomorrow. Remember, you must make sure all the Clans are there."

Then the icy touch was gone, and Icepaw was alone with Wolfpaw and the dead mouse.

* * *

"Duskpaw!" The brown, black, and ginger she-cat looked up at Twigstorm, blinking at the brown tom.

"Yes?" she asked quietly, timidly.

Twigstorm smiled. "You and Rosepaw are coming with Whiteflame and I on a patrol."

Duskpaw's eyes widened at the mention of Rosepaw. Rosepaw, who hated her. Rosepaw, who practicing fighting with her claws unsheathed.

Rosepaw, who had tried to kill Duskpaw, and made it look like an accident when she hadn't succeeded.

She pushed the thought away and smiled weakly, nodding and standing up, pushing away what remained of her fish. "Okay, then," she murmured, glancing away from her mentor.

RiverClan was dying like the rest. She had to forgive Rosepaw. Maybe she would change. Maybe. With time, maybe she could change for the better.

Or maybe, she would just get better aim.

Duskpaw shuddered. She couldn't think about that now. She pushed it from her mind and walked to the entrance of camp with Twigstorm, where Whiteflame and Rosepaw waited. Rosepaw flashed her a cold grin as they padded out of camp together.

The timid tortoiseshell wasn't ready for this patrol at all. She steeled herself to get through it, though.

"We need to leave soon," Twigstorm suddenly said absentmindedly.

Duskpaw gazed at her mentor in slight shock, then she relaxed, like she realized it could be alright.

And it would. She knew it would. She trusted her mentor- somehow, she felt she could trust him with her very life, even though she didn't trust many cats. It just wasn't her way.

Maybe this was a time for _maybes_ and _what ifs_, a time for them to come true, for every cat to start over. She would be okay.

Rosepaw's voice in her ear gave her a chill down her spine, though.

"Don't get any ideas. Even when we leave, I will still hate you- and I will always be watching."

**I worked till my hands were numb on this. Okay, maybe not that long. But this story is (hopefully) going to be a good, long story with good, long chapters. So as long as you want chapters like this in the future... I suggest you try not to rush me. (But sometimes you can, because I'm honestly a lazy butt.)**

**Critiquing is appreciated! Hey, someone tell me if I spelled that wrong. XD**

**~Kaori**


	2. Chapter One: Gathering

**Disclaimer: Warriors, mine? Not until I rule the universe!**

Chapter 1: Gathering

Duskpaw dipped her head down as Waterstar's gaze rose over the cats of RiverClan. Rosepaw sat near the front, while Duskpaw preferred staying away, near the back. Pale orange light washed over the camp as dawn broke.

Waterstar's eyes stopped suddenly. "RiverClan," he began, his voice almost not reaching Duskpaw, but not because the crowd was so large, for it was smaller than it ever had been because of the disease. The leader, who was once very timid, still could not seem to find a yowl in him.

"RiverClan," he began again, taking a deep breath. The tortoiseshell took notice of the slight tremble in his voice and sympathized with him. "I have been sent a sign!"

Ears pricked, and heads turned to their neighbors. The only queen of RiverClan, who didn't yet have kits but was due soon, anxiously stood. "What did StarClan have to say to us?" Streamshade asked him, her pale blue eyes searching Waterstar's.

He looked back, anything but calm. It was his kits that the she-cat carried; he wished with all his heart for their family to be able to remain intact. "They want us to meet with the other Clans," he finally announced, and for once, his voice was clear. "This land is dying. We must leave before the Clans die with it."

Duskpaw briefly wondered if she'd ever meet a tom that boosted her courage like that, if she'd ever have kits to love. Almost immediately, she dismissed the idea. She had had enough fantasies about having her own family before the disease spread; now was a time for focus.

Her head rose at the thought. For the first time in many moons, she looked almost proud, perhaps at her ability to keep on track.

"But first, I have to take care of something." Waterstar looked down toward the other RiverClan cats remaining. "Before we go, I will perform one last ceremony in our old territory." He smiled. "Fogpaw, please come forward."

Fogpaw, the oldest of the three remaining RiverClan apprentices, looked up from mumbling with his friend, Maplefoot. The pale gray tabby and white tom hesitantly stepped forward, generally not liking to be social or the center of attention.

Waterstar waited with a warm, inviting smile. "It's okay," he told Fogpaw, leaping from his perch. The other tom jumped back in slight surprise as the leader landed lightly on his paws directly in front of him.

"This apprentice has proved his loyalty and skill," Waterstar proclaimed. "From now on, he shall not be known as Fogpaw. He shall be known as Fogspots, a full warrior of RiverClan." He dipped his head to rest his chin briefly on the new warrior's head.

For a moment, all Fogspots could do was stand still, rooted to the spot. Then he seemed to gain mobility. Duskpaw watched with pride in her Clanmate as he licked Waterstar's shoulder.

The blue-gray tom stepped back. Fogspots shivered in anticipation as silence gripped the Clan. Then, Maplefoot let out a proud shout, "Fogspots! Fogspots!"

_Look who's already got his mate._ Duskpaw shared a smile with herself, then softly chanted Fogspots' new name with everyone else.

When they set off, Fogspots dropped behind quite some ways with Maplefoot. Duskpaw glanced back, for they were now behind even her. She looked forward again, and, spotting Twigstorm beckoning her with his tail, loped past a few other cats to catch up to her mentor.

She slowed and looked up at the brown tom. "Yes?" she inquired, quietly and politely.

"When we meet up with the others," Twigstorm began in a mumble, "I want you to stick by me. I don't want to lose you in the crowd, and I've still got a few pointers I can share with you about how to act around the other Clans." He smiled gently, knowing she had a lack of confidence in her own abilities and sometimes needed a boost.

Duskpaw returned the smile. "Thank you," she said gratefully, dipping her head.

"Hey, no problem," Twigstorm told her with a smile. "Anything for my favorite apprentice."

"But I'm your _only_ apprentice!" Duskpaw objected with a small giggle.

"Oh really? I didn't realize," the elder cat joked back. He suddenly looked ahead, his ears drawing against his head, his smile turning to a scowl. "Oh, what does _she_ want?" he growled.

Duskpaw looked forward to see Rosepaw beckoning with her tail, her green eyes narrowed in open malice, telling Duskpaw to walk with her. The tortoiseshell quivered with fear, the fur on the back of her neck rising.

"It's okay." She peered up timidly at the sound of her mentor's unusually firm voice. "Just stay by me. I know about Rosepaw. At least that she's cruel to you." He glanced down at the she-cat. "Is there anything specific I need to know about her? It is, after all, a mentor's duty to train their apprentices to be warriors, and my duty as a Clanmate to protect you. To do that, I need to know what makes you afraid."

For a single moment, Duskpaw considered telling him of the time Rosepaw tried to kill her. _She pretended to be my friend until then. Then suddenly, one day, she snapped, asking me out to hunt then cornering me and trying to cut open my throat. I can't remember what stopped her._ She mulled it over, wondering if she should tell Twigstorm.

Then words came from her that she didn't even know she had in her. "There's nothing to know. There's nothing to protect me from."_ Liar. Because you cannot be protected without risking the lives of others._ She hid a cringe by moving her gaze to the side opposite Twigstorm for a heartbeat, pretending to watch a late-night bird as it flew overhead.

Twigstorm looked her way before facing ahead once again. "Okay, Duskpaw. I'm going to take your word for it."

The tortoiseshell held in a sigh of relief. She couldn't help feel bad that she was lying to Twigstorm, though. He was her mentor, and did generally look out for her. She hated that Rosepaw was making her lie, and she hated that Rosepaw even scared her. The two had once been friends. What happened to the smaller pinkish-ginger she-cat since then? Had Duskpaw said something to upset her?

The apprentice shook her head to clear it. It was no use just thinking about it when she had no inclination to act. Duskpaw had no wish to hurt her fellow apprentice. The feeling clearly wasn't mutual.

* * *

Icepaw scowled as she sat in the clearing of the Gathering island. The moon was clouded the night before, she remembered. So why were they sitting here, waiting on the other Clans, when ThunderClan could survive well enough on their own?

Feeling eyes burning into her pelt, she raised her head, eyes challenging whoever looked her way. It wasn't just anyone, though. Hatred imbued in his gaze, Mudstar was staring her down.

The white and black she-cat narrowed her eyes. _Do you want a fight?_ she asked silently, having had enough of him already that morning, when she had given him StarClan's message.

She caught his slight nod. _Then a fight you will get!_ Her lip curled, and her claws appeared. Just as a growl began to escape her throat, a different, smaller brown tom plopped down beside her, none too graceful, yet silent all the same.

"Hey, Icepaw." Wolfpaw gazed at her coolly.

Icepaw's head turned, and her icy eyes softened, but only slightly. There was still a specific murderous intent in them. "I need to hunt!" she spat under her breath, her tail twitching in agitation.

"But we're on the Gathering island," Wolfpaw whispered, in slight desperation, his amber eyes wide, pleading for her to calm down.

The she-cat shook her head, looking disgusted. "I know! I hate this. Why should we have to consort with other Clans when we are surviving perfectly fine without all this fuss? We can move alone, to some place where ThunderClan can be the sole predators of the land."

"Icepaw," Wolfpaw prompted. "Think about it. We have no queens. We have no medicine cat. Pigeontail, Skyfeather, Nightleaf, Ashpelt, and Brownleg are our last warriors. We're the only apprentices left."

"As much as I hate to say it," Icepaw grumbled after a pause, "we could always recruit rouges or loners."

The brown tabby gave a heavy sigh. "Icepaw!" he groaned. "For a second I thought you were actually going to agree."

"Why would I do that?" Icepaw smirked. "I like being difficult."

"No kidding!" Wolfpaw readily agreed, rolling his eyes. He was glad the bloodlust had faded from her icy eyes, though.

"What can I say? I'm a natural!" Icepaw gave him a sharp-toothed grin. She didn't miss his shudder. "And besides loners and rogues, so we don't need too many of them, the warriors in ThunderClan could always pair up."

"Oh, look." Wolfpaw suddenly looked toward the entrance of the island's clearing, his attempt at trying to change the topic quite obvious. "RiverClan's here."

Icepaw hissed. "Tch." She immediately looked away from the newcomers, choosing a point to glare at. That point happened to be Mudstar.

"Woah," Wolfpaw whispered suddenly. She glanced at him, and his amber eyes were fixed on one of the RiverClan cats. Resisting the urge to growl at his density, she followed his gaze to a pretty tortoiseshell, talking in low voices to a dark brown tom.

Her tail flicked. "She's weak. Can't you tell?" Icepaw's sharp eyes picked out the way she held herself, timid and scared, and her pale amber eyes, darting nervously from the larger tom's face to another she-cat near the front of the group. "We have no time for weakness if we wish to be leaders."

"Weakness like what? Family? Attraction? Love?" Wolfpaw demanded, narrowing his eyes.

Icepaw cleared her throat. "Well. Perhaps family wouldn't be all that bad. After all, I will need heirs." She was utterly emotionless. The concept gave her no joy or excitement; she saw it as simply another requirement of being a leader someday. To her, kits were bothersome and needed only to keep the Clan going. In her eyes, she would be able to hand them off to a different queen until they were ready to be trained, without any objections whatsoever. Then, they would have their chance to prove themselves and mean something to her.

"You would hate your kits. They would hate you right back," Wolfpaw declared bravely, though he fought to hide the slight quaver in his voice.

"Hate will only harden them, steel them for the future, and prepare them for leadership," Icepaw growled, training her hard, unforgiving gaze on the other ThunderClan apprentice. "Love is a true weakness."

"Then…," Wolfpaw began, hesitating. "You should be considered weak, shouldn't you?"

The patched she-cat stiffened. "What?" Her cold eyes turned to the tom, accusing and effective.

"You heard me!" Wolfpaw snapped, despite his instinct to back down from the deadly she-cat's unspoken challenge. "You love death and ambition. Isn't that weakness?"

"Of course not!" Icepaw responded, turning her head away to hold it proudly in indignity at the suggestion. "It's strength. It's what shaped me into what I am now." She turned back to them, her pale eyes dark. "And do you know what that I am?"

Wolfpaw finally gave in to the instinct to live and backed away from her a few steps. "No. Tell me."

"A cold-blooded killer," she hissed quietly, every fiber of her being bristling with menace. "And happy to be one. You can either be with me or against me. I suggest you don't get on my bad side unless you want to suffer in your later life, Wolfpaw."

Wolfpaw's jaws snapped shut almost instantly. He knew she was serious. He had only told her to tell him what she was because he hoped she would say something along the lines of, "a ThunderClan apprentice," but knew it was in vain. Icepaw wasn't normal, and they both knew it. She didn't _want_ to be normal. It was her way, the way she carved for herself by cruelty and ambition, leaving a path behind her that was soaked in blood and gave off a stench of death.

"Good," Icepaw hissed, nodding with narrowed eyes. She glanced up and casually said, "Oh look, here comes ShadowClan."

* * *

Swamppaw padded beside Flowerpaw on the way to the Gathering island. He glanced her way and began moving closer. She glanced at him as well, but said nothing.

He continued in sidling closer to her until his fur was brushing against hers. At this, she sighed.

"You think you're so smooth, don't you?" she asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Why, no, I don't," Swamppaw replied thoughtfully, making her turn to gaze at him in shock. He grinned, his face turning seductive, his voice becoming smooth. "I _know_ I'm so smooth."

Flowerpaw just looked ahead stubbornly, not wasting her breath on him. She felt nothing for the tom but annoyance, dislike, and admittedly, sometimes fear. If only he could see that!

"Have you thought about what I said?" Swamppaw suddenly said. Flowerpaw moved away from him, wanting to snarl, but remained silent.

"Do you remember?" the patched tom persisted, his voice somehow remaining smooth. "ShadowClan needs kits. I'm sure we'd have some strong and beautiful kits." He gave her a lopsided smile.

The young calico sniffed. "I remain with my answer. I will not succumb to any offer you give. I simply don't like you, Swamppaw, and you'll have to live with that, despite how you can seduce any other she-cat. I don't fall for such trickery. If you understand that, I believe we'll get along much better."

Swamppaw's face fell. "Oh, Flowerpaw," he sighed. "I wish I could. But, you see, I must confess that I adore challenges and simply can't turn away from one! And you, my dear, are a challenge." He smirked at her, giving her a look like he expected her to say something.

The medicine cat apprentice said nothing, only drew her muzzle shut and refused to say more, even though the warrior apprentice continued pestering her.

Swamppaw sighed. He looked up and began heading toward the front of the small group of ShadowClan cats. Darkstar headed the group, while Swamppaw's other favorite she-cat to tease, Bluefrost, was right by him. By this time, Swamppaw knew all he _could_ do was tease the white and pale blue-gray tabby, and the two had soon become friends once Swamppaw had finally reached this conclusion.

"Hello," Bluefrost greeted first, smiling.

"Hey, beautiful," Swamppaw replied with a jovial grin.

"Flowerpaw turn you down again?"

Swamppaw sighed. "Oh, however did you know, my dear Bluefrost?" he asked sarcastically, snickering as he rolled his eyes.

"I don't know," she answered, pretending to be thoughtful. "Maybe that disappointment just rolling off you in waves gave it away? That defeated look on your face? You know she's a tough nut to crack. Sorry to say this, but I doubt you can do it with the strategy you're using now." She shrugged, looking as though she didn't care, even though she was slightly interested in what other things Swamppaw might do to win Flowerpaw over.

The apprentice was silent for a moment. Then he said, "I'll try again, of course. I'll just try a different approach next time. Maybe ask to share some prey or something."

"That is how most normal toms start off relationships." Bluefrost said in amusement, her whiskers twitching. "Of course, I assume you're just going to break her heart as soon as you get her to love you?" There was mostly playfulness in her voice, but there was also a stern disapproval and disappointment, cleverly masked by moons of practice.

"What else would I do?" Swamppaw asked haughtily, without pause. He hadn't detected the undertone in her voice. "Although, you know by now that I don't believe that love is a real thing."

Bluefrost gave him a stern look. "It would actually be better if you'd stop messing with she-cats altogether, what you believe or not. You crush their hopes right when you begin to make them happy. Don't you see that you're hurting cats?"

"What do you expect, Bluefrost, dear?" Swamppaw sighed, shaking his head as if he had explained this a hundred times before and was only just willing to explain it a hundred and first. "I've never been shown real love by anyone. Therefore, it isn't within my beliefs. I might have some offspring with some attractive young she-cat one day, but I don't want any lasting relationships. It's petty and I'm clearly not worth the time." His voice seemed to grow tense as he ground out the last six words.

Bluefrost looked upon him with only sympathy. It wasn't entirely his fault that he was this way, true. Though he had been raised just like any other kit of ShadowClan (the cats of which, for the most part, really did try to give him a good life), he had been without mother and father. The she-cat to whom he had been given to be raised cared nothing for him as she had for her own kits, and often excluded him from things, in connection teaching his adopted siblings to do the same. With the family he grew up in turned against him, he seemed to have a very twisted perceptive of the world.

"You know I hate that look, Bluefrost," Swamppaw's voice said, breaking into her thoughts. "That sympathetic look. I hate it." One thing he did firmly believe in was hatred.

"I'm sorry," Bluefrost murmured, holding back a sigh. She wished that she could help the tom realize that what he knew wasn't always right. He was missing out on a lot.

"It's fine," Swamppaw told her, blinking as a stray piece of dust wafted into his eye. He rubbed it with a paw and quickly got the speck out before it could irritate the eye.

The warrior glanced back. "Hawkfur seems to want to talk to you," she noted, seeing the dark brown tabby and black tom beckoning impatiently at the apprentice.

"Oh," Swamppaw sighed. "I suppose I'll see you later then, Bluefrost." He began slowing his pace so he could meet his mentor, but sped it up to match the older tom's once Swamppaw was beside Hawkfur.

Hawkfur nodded towards Bluefrost. "Flirting with her will get you nowhere."

Swamppaw looked at his mentor in sarcastic skepticism. "No! Really? I never knew." He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. Of course he already knew that. Hawkfur should know by now that Bluefrost was only a friend, and would only ever want to be. Swamppaw knew the reason, too; she wanted a mate to love her, and knew he didn't believe in love.

"Just checking," Hawkfur snorted, returning his look.

His apprentice nodded slowly. "Well now you know."

* * *

Birchstar's blue eyes shone with energy and vigor. Forestpaw watched the new leader as she approached the front of the small group of gathered cats. Her proud gaze swept over the Clan, surveying the warriors she was newly named official leader of.

"StarClan has brought me a very important message," Birchstar announced, her voice loud and carrying well over the camp. Already it was clear that she was suited for the role of leadership. Forestpaw approved of the choice the Clan had made, even if Birchwing was a little on the older side.

"We are destined to embark on a journey of survival with the other Clans. If we don't go on this journey, WindClan may go extinct. All of the Clans may, and out legacy will die." Unhappy looks were shared among the WindClan cats at this prophetic phrase. Certainly, they were strong enough o go on if they didn't really want to go on this journey?

"Now," Birchstar said, her voice lowering a notch or two. "I will not make this decision alone. This is for the Clan to decide. I will stay, if that is what the Clan wants. But please, consider my words. Those who think it is wiser to leave, please step forward. Those who think we should stay, please step back."

The majority of the Clan stepped forward, including Forestpaw. Only one warrior hung back, Nettleclaw, and the red and light brown tom usually was very reserved and moody anyway. With a short moment of pause, he finally grumbled to himself and joined the rest of the cats with Birchstar.

The silver tabby smiled with as much sincerity as possible at the tom. "Glad you could join us," she chuckled. "Now, there's something else." Forestpaw could've sworn that the leader glanced his way, but he blinked, and she was looking over the entire small crowd again. He blamed it on his imagination.

"There will be rouges on this journey," Birchstar said calmly, "as well as loners and kittypets. We will not meet them with threats or suspicion, but with kindness. This is because we must recruit them to help build our new Clan. It will not be the same as the Clans we know; however, there are others, waiting for us."

"What does that mean?" Forestpaw couldn't stop himself from asking.

Birchstar shook her head. "I don't know. That's all I was told." She sighed in regret. "I know, I probably should've asked more, but I don't think they would've told me."

"It's okay," Stoneclaw rasped. "But for now, we should get going. The moon is rising."

Birchstar nodded. "Yes, we should. WindClan, come." She flicked her tail, leading the Clan out of the camp, toward the Gathering island.

Forestpaw followed, keeping beside Mousefang. Her eyes were glazed, and she walked unsteadily. He was concerned for his mother, who had begun acting strange as of late, since last night after Jaypaw was buried. He could hear his sister now: _"Mother, don't be sad. We're going to find a better place where we can not only survive, but we can actually live a little! Isn't that wonderful?" _

She always was such a bright she-cat. She would be missed; Forestpaw realized this mournfully, his mouth twisting into a grimace. He knew it before, but the reality of it hit him like a rock to the head.

After these thoughts, Forestpaw was kept occupied by the task of watching over his mother. She was quiet, and seemed to be in her own world, stumbling too close to the lake for comfort too many times for Forestpaw to count.

The dark brown tom was even more nervous for his mother's sake when they approached the log bridge. Stoneclaw seemed to notice this, and he stopped, letting all the other cats go before him while he waited for Forestpaw and Mousefang to catch up.

"I'll help you get her across," the elder offered kindly.

Forestpaw gave a smile of appreciation. "Yeah, thanks. I don't know if she'd be able to get over by herself or if I could handle helping her alone."

Stoneclaw nodded and gestured toward the fallen log. "You go first. I'll stay behind her to make sure she doesn't fall." Forestpaw followed his instruction and hopped onto the log, but kept glancing back, making sure his mother was walking straight.

She did slip a couple of times, but Stoneclaw was able to easily right her. Each time, Forestpaw turned back with bated breath, helping the gray tom drag Mousefang back onto the old log. Never did the fog leave her eyes.

When they finally made it across the log, both Forestpaw and Stoneclaw were grateful. Mousefang showed no sign that she knew she had gone anywhere, or that she had narrowly escaped death.

Her son lead her to the clearing where the Gathering was held, Stoneclaw following. Voices reached their ears. The Gathering had already begun, but of course, no one would notice the absence of three cats, and if they did, most wouldn't wait for them.

"- and so it's decided?"

They walked into the clearing to hear Mudstar say these words, the other leaders softly agreeing.

Smallstorm approached Forestpaw and the others. "Good to see you could finally get Mousefang here." Forestpaw guessed that maybe not _every_ cat had missed them; Smallstorm even knew why they weren't there. "Basically, what was said was that if we were willing to, we would work together and travel to find this place to the south where we can settle again. Nearly everyone agreed, and those who didn't were persuaded. Tonight, we're staying on the Gathering island to rest."

"And then what're we going to do?" Stoneclaw asked impatiently as the small medicine cat paused.

"Tomorrow, we set out," the ginger tom said gravely.

**Okay you guys, I've been working on this chapter for a few days now. I really hope you all enjoy it. Sorry if it is a bit late; I meant to update within the week, but I don't think I quite got there. Sorry, all. **

**I'll set a little bit higher limit for myself next time so I can get it done in time. Say, one and a half weeks? My schedule can be a little unpredictable, so we'll see.**

**Oops, almost forgot; if you look on my profile, I've drawn all the cats from the prologue, and posted links to the pictures. I will also be drawing the cats introduced (or simply mentioned) in this chapter.**

**~Kaori**


	3. Chapter Two: Start of the Journey

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.**

Chapter Two: Start of the Journey

Duskpaw settled beside Twigstorm after bidding him goodnight. She stole a glance over the Gathering island; this would be the last time she saw it, she realized woefully. She took in the scenery, preserving this moment.

To her surprise, Rosepaw padded over and settled beside her. The other she-cat cast Duskpaw a scathing glance; the more timid of the two quailed in response. Then Rosepaw did something even more unexpected: she smiled weakly, softening her gaze, as if it was foreign to her, and Duskpaw knew it was. But it was a smile the tortoiseshell recognized, from when she and Rosepaw were friends, because even then she had been cold, just not toward Duskpaw.

"Sleep tight, Duskpaw," Rosepaw said quietly, setting her head on her paws, looking away from the other she-cat.

Duskpaw was stunned into silence. Then, stammering, she whispered, "You too, Rosepaw."

Laying her head down to sleep, Duskpaw had a hopeful thought to shed light upon their relationship. _Maybe this means Rosepaw wants to be friends again._

_Duskpaw blinked open her amber eyes, giving a small yawn. She looked around, at first expecting the RiverClan camp, then the Gathering island; she saw neither. A wide plain of flat land spread out before her. A few grassy areas patched the otherwise dry, dusty terrain. There was a single tree in sight._

_Duskpaw approached this tree, hoping it might hold some sign as to where she was. Instead, as she approached the scraggly tree, another form came into being, a cat. His back was to Duskpaw, and she approached cautiously. She could scent the Clans on him, but the smell was muddled and indistinct, and she was unable to catch his Clan's scent among the others._

_"Hello?" she asked him cautiously, her voice as timid as always as she tried to peer at his face._

_For a moment he didn't seem to hear her. Then he turned slowly, looking shocked. "How're you here?" he asked, his dark green eyes keen as they seemed to study her features. "This… this is my world. I made it. No one else is supposed to be able to cross into my dreams like this."_

_"I'm sorry, I don't know how I got here. I just woke up, and I was here," Duskpaw told him apologetically, dipping her head in a sort of shame. She always caused trouble, didn't she? First somehow upsetting Rosepaw so the she-cat no longer wanted to be her friend, now with this tom in a world that was supposedly his, she just messed everything up._

_"It's okay," he sighed after a moment's pause. "My name is Forestpaw. I'm a cat of WindClan. And you are?" He shuffled his paws in slight awkwardness, his mouth twitching into a half-smile._

_"Wait, WindClan?" Duskpaw's ears pricked, and a hint of curiosity entered her gaze. "My name is Duskpaw. I'm from RiverClan. You're not from StarClan's WindClan, are you?"_

_"What? No!" Forestpaw said immediately, looking a little cross. "No, no! I'm not dead any more than you. You're not dead, right?"_

_"No, of course not," Duskpaw said quietly, looking at her paws and crouching in submission. "I apologize…."_

_"It's fine. What are you doing? Why don't you look me in the eye?" He seemed concerned as he crouched to be at her eye level._

_Duskpaw met his green eyes and suddenly noticed how cute he was with a concerned face, and for some reason, felt extremely guilty about it. She didn't think it was a matter of Clan heritage either. It didn't make her feel any better when he suddenly murmured, "Your eyes are really pretty…"_

_Pale amber eyes drew away from a dark green gaze to the ground. "Thank you," their owner said quietly. And suddenly, an image of Rosepaw appeared in her mind; stern and disapproving of her even talking to Forestpaw. Duskpaw had almost forgotten that look, the one she had been given when she trailed away from Rosepaw to the other Clans' apprentices during her first Gathering, and the last one she and the other RiverClan she-cat had spent as friends. She knew she had missed their friendship, but not this much._

_Forestpaw frowned. "Are you okay?" he asked, and Duskpaw wondered how he could catch onto her emotions so quickly._

_"Fine," Duskpaw sighed. "I'm perfectly fine... I think I just miss my best friend. She hasn't been talking to me for a while…."_

_"It's that little ginger she-cat, isn't it?" Forestpaw suddenly asked. "She likes you. A _lot._ I think she might even love you. I knew I recognized you, I just didn't know where from…. I saw you and her before I went to sleep. It's… kind of a talent of mine to get what others are feeling…. Maybe she doesn't want to admit it, and that's why she seems mad? She wants to blame you for making her love you?"_

_The RiverClan she-cat went rigid, then hissed, "Rosepaw does _not_ love me! She'd never love another she-cat." She shook her head with a scowl._

_"Interesting," Forestpaw mumbled in intrigue, though his expression was unreadable as he observed her._

_"What?" Duskpaw asked, tail-tip twitching in agitation and slight anger, which was unusual for her._

_"Nothing," Forestpaw said absentmindedly. "Hold on, someone else is coming." His ears perked, and he looked around, into the mist that Duskpaw hadn't noticed was forming around them._

_A dark shape began to form in the direction Forestpaw was looking, Duskpaw noted as she followed his gaze. Shivering at the unknown form, which looked pretty big for a cat, Duskpaw backed up until she hit Forestpaw's side. The long-furred tom brushed his tail over her back comfortingly, murmuring a short, "Don't worry."_

_The figure finally broke through the mist. It was a very large but young she-cat with blue-gray tabby fur, black paws, white belly and chest, and sharp, dark green eyes. "Hello, Forestpaw," she greeted the wide-eyed tom softly. She looked almost menacing when she was just a shadow, but now it was evident that she was simply a friendly giant._

_"J-Jaypaw," Forestpaw whispered, almost reverentially. "Do you know, about Mousefang?" _

_She frowned. "Of course," she sighed softly. "You are losing her fast, at least in mind, even if not in body... But before I get sidetracked, Duskpaw, you are going to do great things, and those close to you will only get closer," she told her with a smile._

_Duskpaw was bewildered. That also happened to be the moment she woke up._

"Duskpaw? Hey, Duskpaw!"

Duskpaw's amber eyes opened to the sight of Rosepaw shaking her with one forepaw, pale green eyes contrasting with the dark, piney green Duskpaw had just been looking into. Her first act of waking was to look at Rosepaw for a long time, then sigh. No, there was no way that Forestpaw was right. Rosepaw would never love Duskpaw, and Duskpaw certainly wouldn't love her back.

But if this was the case, why did Duskpaw feel so disappointed?

* * *

_"You like her," Jaypaw scolded, shaking her head. "You know, with your gift, cats would think you'd know better."_

_"I can't help who she likes," Forestpaw sighed. "But maybe if I tried to get closer to her as a friend…." He trailed off, looking hopeful in the slightest._

_"You're hopeless," Jaypaw sighed. "Now, your prophecy, brother. _Four will become one, and five unexpected cats will rise from the ashes of what has been lost to bring them together as they follow the setting sun. _Use this knowledge well, Forestpaw. And please, guard your heart more carefully, brother."_

_He didn't meet her gaze as he sighed. "Don't count on it," were his last words before disappearing from that plane of reality._

_Jaypaw only shook her head and sighed along with him._

Forestpaw shook himself awake, stretching and yawning widely. Instantly, as last night's "dream" came back to him, his gaze swept across the clearing, praying to StarClan that the she-cat he met was actually real, and he hadn't just dreamed her up.

Across the clearing, he spotted her talking to that pale ginger she-cat; her tortoiseshell fur gleamed, newly groomed, Forestpaw guessed, and her amber eyes were distrusting of the other she-cat. He could tell, though, she wanted to be able to open up to – what had she called her? – Rosepaw. He could only wonder if she'd want to open up to him like that someday, too.

He allowed himself to watch her with admiration for a few moments more, then he focused and looked around. Locating Mousefang, already being helped up by Stoneclaw and Smallstorm, he went over to help as well.

Still, through his mother's stumbling and nearly falling off the log, his mind couldn't be distracted from thoughts of the shy, pretty she-cat. She had a fiery temper when she wanted to, as well, and Forestpaw wondered if he was the first one that saw it in that brief moment when she had been angry at him for suggesting that Rosepaw loved her.

"Forestpaw, we're stopping to hunt," Birchstar's soft voice notified him. He blinked at her, looking up as if from a daze- he had hardly noticed them walk to the border between RiverClan and WindClan. "The leaders are putting you on a patrol with Nettleclaw, Aspenstripe of ShadowClan and Twigstorm and Duskpaw of RiverClan."

_Duskpaw of RiverClan._

The three words nearly made his heart stop. Forestpaw blinked the shock from his eyes and smiled weakly, nodding at Birchstar. "Okay, thanks. I'll go find them now." He turned and was going to walk towards the larger group of cats when Birchstar's voice interrupted him again, piercing through his daze.

"Forestpaw, are you okay?" she asked him in concern. "Is it your mother, or your sister? What's wrong?" She gave him a look of concern, a frown fixed on her face as she observed him closely.

The brown tom's fur felt hot from her gaze. "I'm fine," he told her, placing a smile on his face, and honestly, he felt more than fine. He was giddy, his heart was racing, and he couldn't think straight. He had just met Duskpaw, and already he couldn't stop thinking about her. His grin grew a little wider at this. He was a good judge of character, and what he saw in Duskpaw was a little she-cat with a big heart, even if she could be shy or even a little fierce. That made her all the more endearing, though.

"Forestpaw? That's you, right?" A small voice caught his attention, and he turned to see Duskpaw, looking bashfully at her paws. But she knew him, right? She had to remember! The tom then caught sight of another behind her, probably her mentor, and he understood; they had to pretend like they didn't really know each other. Added to her mentor being there, Birchstar was still by Forestpaw, he reminded himself.

"That's me," he replied with a lopsided smile, glad that he could be friendly, as that was his normal attitude. He didn't think he could stand not giving her a smile as soon as he saw her, or greeting her with a bright voice. "Duskpaw? I'm going on patrol with you guys, right? Is that your mentor, uh..." he glanced at Birchstar, "Twigstorm?" His leader nodded, a pleased smile on her face.

His heart skipped a beat as she returned his bright smile with a small, shy one. "Yeah, that's my mentor, and I'm Duskpaw, and you're patrolling with us. Aspenstripe is waiting with Nettleclaw and Shellfur."

"Shellfur?" Forestpaw asked curiously, his whiskers twitching. That sounded like a RiverClan name. "Who's that?"

"Shellfur is just talking with Aspenstripe and Nettleclaw. She's from our Clan," Twigstorm interjected, approaching the two. "Birchstar." He dipped his head respectfully to the leader, then continued, "You all need to hurry up. We only have a limited amount of time to hunt, and all together, we've got at least an entire Clan to feed."

_An entire Clan._ To Forestpaw, it almost seemed like Twigstorm wanted to reference to all of them as one big Clan now. He wouldn't have minded that, actually. It would make things a lot easier... He forced his eyes to stay on Twigstorm as they seemed to glance at Duskpaw of their own accord. _Stop it! If we end up getting separated into different Clans at the end of this, no matter what Jaypaw said, you're going to get your heart broken. Besides, you saw it yourself, she loves someone else. _

"Okay, Twigstorm," the WindClan apprentice said, forcing a bright smile on his face. "Lead the way!" His grin almost looked cheeky, so overly-enthusiastic that it might even be considered a type of sarcasm, so he could see why Twigstorm frowned at him.

"Come on then," the warrior said after a pause, flicking his tail at the younger male as he turned. Duskpaw quickly followed after him, not even glancing back to see if Forestpaw was coming, which made his heart clench in hurt. For this he scolded himself; they had only known each other for not even a day, what did he really expect? If he wanted her affection, he'd have to work for it.

This was something he was happy to do. As they started toward the large group and the sandy-and-red-brown tom and orange-brown tabby tom joined them, Forestpaw tried to start a conversation with Duskpaw, but she simply gave short, quiet answers. He soon realized that she wasn't pretending. She was actually shy here, in the waking world! But she shouldn't have been so different in his dream world, should she have been? He frowned as he pondered upon this, and decided he'd try his best to get her back there the following night. It would be in his best interest if he could get her to trust him in the real and dream worlds.

Forestpaw stopped as a scent caught his attention, and his lip curled back in disgust. It still smelled of death on WindClan territory, where they were hunting. No short amount of time could change this fact, certainly not an overnight trip, and this short visit would probably have the stench clinging to his pelt again.

"Don't worry," he was surprised to hear that small voice say, and he looked to his right to see Duskpaw keeping pace with him, a hesitant smile on her face. "It's not so bad once you get used to it, and I'm sure it'll go away in a day or two." Her pale amber eyes seemed to cut into him, reading him completely, making his fur grow warm in a way that wasn't entirely unpleasant and sending what seemed to be sparks shooting down his spine.

"Thanks for the reassurance," he told her sincerely, wondering if she could possibly know how much his heart was fluttering at the small distance between them. If he just took a few steps closer...

"It's no problem," she mumbled, that shy smile lighting up her whole face. He smiled back and faced forward, searching for any scent of a healthy rabbit through the disgusting murk of death and sickness.

A few moments later, he scented it, and he heard the thump of small paws on the moors. His twitching whiskers alerted the others that he had caught on to something, even more so when he crouched down, drawing his ears back and narrowing his pine green eyes in concentration. Pulling himself stealthily through the long grasses of WindClan territory, he soon spotted the brown pelt of his plump target. His teeth bared in a triumphant grin, and in his mind, he could already taste the salty blood and the pleasure he got from knowing he had done something for his Clan.

Suddenly the rabbit's head shot up from nibbling on a few stalks of grass, and its nose twitched wildly. For a moment, Forestpaw was baffled at this sudden change in alertness, then he realized the wind had changed. _No!_ He let out a growl, already having been given away by the traitorous wind, and quickly pounced on the rabbit. He missed it by a mouse-length, but he quickly recovered and dashed after it, straining his muscles. It was within reach now, and just a few more moments...

There was a snap as Forestpaw caught the creature's neck in his teeth, and the tang of blood filled his mouth, but he ignored the strong instinct to eat the rabbit there and then and headed back to the others. Aspenstripe and Twigstorm looked mildly impressed, while Duskpaw was giving him a look of pure awe and Nettleclaw remained grumpy as usual. But that was okay, because even if everyone else wasn't impressed, the awe on Duskpaw's face was enough of a payment for his success.

* * *

Icepaw let out a huff as she followed Brownleg and Pigeontail from her Clan, Waterstar from RiverClan, and Bluefrost of ShadowClan into the heart of RiverClan. They were going to hunt, or, in Waterstar's case, fish. Another patrol of all-RiverClan had chosen to fish by the group that stayed behind, in the lake, but Waterstar said he'd prefer to lead the RiverClan hunting patrol and fish in the streams near where their camp had been. After all, they had to have someone show them where the best hunting places were.

_I could scent it out on my own,_ Icepaw thought with a scowl, even though most other scents except the immediate ones were blocked out by those of death and unhealthiness. She was just too prideful to admit that she couldn't smell anything else. Thinking about this and bashing the cats of RiverClan mentally with no amount of mercy, she hardly noticed when Waterstar stopped, the others following suite.

Icepaw stopped just in time to avoid crashing into Brownleg, who looked back and gave her an amused look, as if he knew she had almost bumped into him. She returned the look with an agitated snarl, icy eyes narrowing. The young tom was too cocky for her liking when he had nothing to be proud of, when he had never done anything noteworthy. He liked to gloat to her on occasions simply because he was a warrior and she wasn't.

"This is a good place for mice and rabbits," Waterstar told them kindly, albeit a little nervously, snapping her attention to the present. She wanted to snarl that she could be hunting perfectly fine mice and rabbits in her territory, and that she didn't need to be treated like a stupid little apprentice fresh from the nursery, but Icepaw had already learned to hold her tongue when it might end up benefitting her. At least Mudstar wasn't around, then she surely couldn't keep in her insults and sarcastic quips. But instead she got this jittery, nervous leader who made her scowl every time he opened his mouth.

"I'll take Icepaw in one direction," Pigeontail offered, giving her a dangerous look. She returned it with one that said, 'I've done nothing wrong yet!' "Bluefrost can come along too, and we'll meet you back here?" All of this was in a polite voice on Pigeontail's part, showing respect towards the older and higher-ranking tom.

"Of course, and splitting up will probably be our best bet at catching more," Waterstar agreed. "I'll show Brownleg a good place to fish near the streams. Good luck, you two." He gave them a friendly smile, and with a flick of his tail, they were padding away.

Icepaw threw a scowl at her mentor, which was mirrored by Bluefrost. "Did I say I wanted to hunt with you?" the white and pale blue-gray tabby snapped, her expression darkening. "I would've rather gone with my father than you!" She scoffed, rolling her pale blue eyes.

"Your father?" Pigeontail inquired shrewdly. "And what do you mean by that?" His orange-amber eyes narrowed in displeasure, his white tail beginning to lash back and forth.

"I hated him," the ShadowClan she-cat said bluntly, her voice flat. "I didn't want a thing to do with him after I became an apprentice. I'm going to hunt in this direction, you can go that way." She headed towards the way the rest of the group waited on the edge of RiverClan and WindClan territory, then veered into the small area Waterstar had indicated was good for prey.

Icepaw glanced at Pigeontail as the pale tom sighed exasperatedly, muttering, "How does StarClan really think this will work? We can't even get through a hunting patrol together!"

"I told you so," Icepaw said with a hint of satisfaction in her voice. "Actually, I told everyone in ThunderClan. We could survive much better alone than going with the other Clans. But did anybody listen? No, she's just a stubborn, impatient little apprentice." She smirked triumphantly at him, giving a little roll of her eyes.

Her mentor seemed a little speechless at this, his orange-amber eyes going wide. Then, something strange happened- he sat down and stared at the ground hopelessly. "I'm sorry I didn't stand by you then," he confessed mournfully. "But Graykit... and Stonekit... a-and even P-Poppyfoot and Larksong..."

A look of momentary pity seemed to cross Icepaw's face, when reality, a plan had already blossomed in her mind, a plan of deception and manipulation- of course, nothing out of the ordinary for her. She might even add in some bloodshed along the way. "I understand," she told him softly, at which he looked up in surprise. A better word to describe his expression would actually have been bewilderment. "However, it can't be helped now. We're already on our way, and I doubt enough cats share our feelings to make a new Clan here on our own. However..." At this point, she lowered her voice, a conspiratorial tone making its appearance. "There is still the matter of us arriving at our destination. Only one cat cat be leader, yes? And even then, it doesn't have to be one of the leaders now."

Pigeontail's eyes widened as he began to realize Icepaw's plan. "You don't really mean...?"

She gave him an uncharacteristically sweet and reassuring smile. "Pigeontail, if you agree to make me your deputy, I will help you on the way to becoming Pigeonstar."

The pale tom went silent for a long moment, and Icepaw could practically see the thoughts running through the tom's mind. Then a questioning look came over him. "You can truly assure my leadership, Icepaw?"

The black-and-white she-cat grinned. "So you are ambitious, even just a little. I knew you must've been."

"I just want what's best for everyone. They're all my Clanmates now. So, Icepaw, can you really assure leadership?"

She sighed at his prompting. "You won't allow me a moment to be happy? Of course I can, Pigeontail. I know how to convince others of things that are truth." Icepaw's kind smile was false, but it was not see-through. It was a perfect mask to her real feelings of disgust at having to agree with her mentor on something. "That you would make a wonderful leader- this is a truth, Pigeontail, even if others are slow to realize it."

Slowly, his mind still working, Pigeontail began to nod. "I agree, then. Let's continue to talk about this later. For now, we have some hunting to do."

* * *

Swamppaw loved teasing Flowerpaw, and was delighted when Darkstar chose him to go with she and Smallstorm to collect as many travelling herbs as possible. Of course, someone else had to go to help Smallstorm, and as it was decided that the assistants of each medicine cat would be from their own Clan, Silversong was made to go.

"Greetings, Swamppaw." Silversong gave him a pleasant smile, but her eyes were narrowed dangerously as he approached the other three, contradicting her smile.

The tom sighed in what seemed to be disappointment. "Oh, has Flowerpaw been telling you tales about me before I arrived...?" The looks on the two she-cats' faces gave him his answer, and Swamppaw gave a little pout. "That's really no fair. I've never done anything to hurt you, Flowerpaw, and you must go and ruin my fun. Why are you so mean to me?" He said this as if he needed to be pitied, a sad little look on his face.

The calico rolled her eyes. "Do you even need to ask, Swamppaw? I'm a medicine cat, for crying out loud, and you're not even a warrior. Added to that, even if I _did_ have feelings for you, I'd never act on them because you can be such a stubborn little jerk!" Immediately, she snapped her jaws shut, and Swamppaw grew amused at the embarrassed look on her face as their two WindClan companions stared at her.

Finally, Smallstorm spoke. "Let's get going. We do still need to get some travelling herbs, in case you've forgotten, and the largest supply in WindClan is a ways from here..." The small tom got up, flicking his tail, and Swamppaw followed him at once. Silversong was close behind and overtook him almost immediately, sending him a dangerous glare as she stuck close to her Clanmate. Flowerpaw, on the other hand, was staying well behind Swamppaw, giving him poisonous looks whenever he dared to look back at her.

The patched tom only chuckled in return. _She's cute when she's angry,_ he laughed inwardly. _She'd make a very attractive mate and I'm sure our offspring would be even more so, and I'd certainly raise them correctly. I'd make sure they knew love isn't a real thing._ He smiled serenely at the thought of little patched kittens running about in a den shared by he and Flowerpaw, and how stony he'd be to be certain that they learned that love was rubbish, an old queen's tale.

Smallstorm led them to a clearing near the heart of WindClan that was different from the rest of the moors. Instead of the tall grasses the rest of the territory possessed, this place was full of lush, green vegetation. Strong, heady, sweet, dull, and sour smells wafted from the flowers and leaves.

"Here." Smallstorm flicked his tail at a few plants close together. "We'll need lots of chamomile leaves, as well as sorrel, daisy, and burnet." He demonstrated how to pick each type of herb and what to take from the plant so they would be of as much use as possible. He then got a large, flat leaf from a different bush and placed all the herbs on it. "Everyone should get one of these to carry the herbs in, so we can bring back more."

Flowerpaw followed his instructions immediately and began picking the herbs like an expert, which she was, especially compared to Silversong and Swamppaw's messy first attempts. They soon got the hang of it, though, even more so when they got into a steady rhythm and stuck to the plants Smallstorm had assigned them to, one per cat, since that would make it easier on the two who weren't medicine cats. They only had to remember one picking method then, which made the burden infinitely easier, and Swamppaw, who hated to be clumsy with anything, had to admit he was relieved that he would only have to be that way for a short time until he picked up the one method properly.

Finally, Swamppaw's leaf was filled with sorrel, the plant he was given to collect. He looked up at the other four and found Silversong was the only one with any picking left to do, and that was a small part. He padded to her side and flashed her a smile before beginning to help pick the daisy leaves that she had been assigned. "It's easier with two," he explained when she paused and gave him a look of confusion and partial disgust. "I just want to make this go faster so we can hurry and get back. It's almost sunhigh, and I'm hungry."

Silversong seemed to accept this with a sigh. Soon, the four were heading back to the place where the others were waiting, Swamppaw taking up the rear this time. As he saw the other waiting cats come into his line of sight, he stole a glance at Flowerpaw. _I will have her, _he reassured himself. _She won't be able to resist, especially not after I start acting like her friend instead of being so straightforward. Bluefrost did say this method would work better. _With this arrogant thought, he walked with a little hop in his step. One way or another, he did plan on getting to Flowerpaw eventually.

He set his own burden down with the rest of the herbs in a place Smallstorm had deemed safe until after they ate, then went to Flowerpaw's side as if drawn by a magnetic force. "Hello, Flowerpaw," he greeted, giving her his most innocent smile. "I was wondering if you'd like to eat with Bluefrost and I?" He nodded towards the makeshift fresh-kill pile that had already dwindled considerably in their absence, since the herb patrol was the last one back.

The calico looked at him warily, and silence descended upon them. The moments seemed to stretch into an eternity before Flowerpaw let out a breath. "It would seem uncivil of me to turn down my own Clanmate without a proper excuse, and I don't think that 'I don't like you' would make for a very good one, so I suppose, as long as Bluefrost is there, I'll eat with you." She brushed past the blue-gray and gray-brown tom to the fresh-kill pile, picked up a rabbit, and flicked her tail, signaling that he should follow.

This he eagerly did, trailing after her to where Bluefrost waited. "Took you long enough," the warrior commented with a derisive snort. "And look at this, you brought a friend." She appraised Flowerpaw with a small, knowing smile. "Did he finally get through to you?"

The medicine cat bristled. "No," she spat. "I just don't have anything better to do right now, and if I share prey with him, it will save more prey for others who need it." Flowerpaw turned her glare down to the rabbit, as if it were the source of her problems, and bit into it with an almost vicious force.

"Hey, what did that rabbit ever do to you?" Swamppaw found himself laughing. Flowerpaw looked up with surprise written all over her face, her fur growing warmer. "I mean, you seem so hostile. Did it bite you or something?"

Flowerpaw lowered her head and cleared her throat. "Shut up," she muttered, shaking her head. "It's your fault for making me angry..."

"But I didn't say anything, that was Bluefrost," Swamppaw reminded her with a smirk.

Bluefrost sent him a warning glare. "Hey, don't go dragging me into this, lover-boy!"

Swamppaw gave a little laugh at this. "Bluefrost, don't be that way, you know you love me," he said, looking not a little cheeky and his comment carrying a tone to match.

The white and blue-gray she-cat made herself relax, realizing that for the first time, Swamppaw was acting like a normal young cat. Even if he himself didn't realize it, he was allowing himself to be easygoing around his friends, and even if he took it as flirting, he was simply letting himself joke around with his friends. She couldn't be mad at him; she was actually happy for him, and felt a warm glow in her heart for her friend. This was the first time he had ever acted truly normal, and she could only hope he could keep it up.

After they ate, Swamppaw went to retrieve herbs for all three of them. They all consumed the bitter herbs with distaste on their faces, but it was a small price to pay for strength that would hopefully last them. Once everyone else had also eaten their herbs, Waterstar, Birchstar, Darkstar, and Mudstar all made their way to the front of the group of cats. After a small speech from each of them, all four Clans started on their way out of the territories.

Swamppaw breathed in the fresher air outside of the Clans' territory. The scent of death and disease was already beginning to fade behind them, but their journey had just begun.

**Gosh, I was being lazy in the completion of this one... Then again, these chapters are longer than those in most of my fanfictions, so I suppose it's okay, as long as I get them posted. Did any of you think I gave up? Never! **

**Also, I'd appreciate if you looked on my page to see the poll there. It concerns the cover of this story, and I'd like the feedback of the readers.**

**~Kaori**


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